Or, perhaps, some journalist getting carried away with an idea.
Best wishes, Tom Jackson, Bill wrote: The motorcycle gas tank version is unsubstantiated at this point. All we know is that it originated in an issue of the British periodical "Motorcycling." Now that I think of it, it could easily be an urban legend for its own period. -----Original Message----- From: Tom Anderson [mailto:tanderson@AMSE.ORG] Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2001 3:14 PM To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU Subject: Re: Origin of the word "tank" (military) So, does this mean the Motorcycle story from 1917 was perhaps an advertising ploy used by the industry? Was it completely fabricated or is there a competing story out there? Just wondering, Tom Anderson; Collections American Museum of Science and Energy 300 S. Tulane Oak Ridge, TN 37830 (865) 576-3228 (Voice), (865) 576-6024 (Fax) -----Original Message----- From: Tom Berry < tberry@WCNET.ORG <mailto:tberry@WCNET.ORG> > To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU <mailto:ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU> < ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU <mailto:ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU> > Date: Thursday, February 15, 2001 4:13 PM Subject: Re: [ARCHIVES] Origin of the word "tank" (military) >From The Caterpillar Story, a company history published by Caterpillar, Inc. in 1984 and reprinted in 1990: "The first workable (tanks), built by British manufacture in 1916, were referred to as 'water tanks for Mesopotamia' - partly because of their appearance, partly to keep their true nature secret." So how does construction equipment titan Caterpillar speak authoritatively on World War I tanks? Caterpillar predecessor Holt Tractor Company was instrumental in helping the British develop the tank. Holt was consulted because of the outstanding reputation their crawler tractors had already earned for their ability to go anywhere and "climb like hell," as British Lt. Colonel Ernest Swinton, a key figure in the development of the tank, put it. The tanks were built in Britain, but the Holt crawlers provided the inspiration. Best wishes, Thomas Berry, Archivist Historical Construction Equipment Association 16623 Liberty Hi Road Bowling Green, Ohio 43402 Phone 419-352-5616 Fax 419-352-6086 tberry@wcnet.org http://www.hcea.net <http://www.hcea.net> Jackson, Bill wrote: This is trivial, but if it's true, we are rather fascinated by it..... We have a copy of an illustration and a caption from Motorcycling and Bicycling (periodical, 1/15/17 issue), which claims that the World War I era British tanks were so named because they were shaped almost exactly like the gas tanks found on many motorcycle brands of the period. It is entirely true that the two shapes are incredibly simliar, but does anyone know if there is truth to this? If it were not in a 1917 magazine, I'd be tempted to think it an urban legend...... Bill Jackson Senior Archivist Harley-Davidson Motor Company Milwaukee, WI Confidential e-mail for addressee only. Access to this e-mail by anyone else is unauthorized. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and destroy the original communication. _____ This is trivial, but if it's true, we are rather fascinated by it.....We have a copy of an illustration and a caption from Motorcycling and Bicycling (periodical, 1/15/17 issue), which claims that the World War I era British tanks were so named because they were shaped almost exactly like the gas tanks found on many motorcycle brands of the period.It is entirely true that the two shapes are incredibly simliar, but does anyone know if there is truth to this? If it were not in a 1917 magazine, I'd be tempted to think it an urban legend...... Bill Jackson Senior Archivist Harley-Davidson Motor Company Milwaukee, WI Confidential e-mail for addressee only. Access to this e-mail by anyone else is unauthorized. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and destroy the original communication. |